In this post I am not considering the word “servant” necessarily as a derogatory or demeaning term.

We must remember that throughout history, humankind had been serving Kings, Nobles, Governments, Lords or Companies, and we have survived. Since I do not want to be separated from the main topic of the post, I will describe below who are in my personal and humble opinion the servants of the IoT Kings that are fighting to dominate our future connected world.

The IoT kings require servants to surrender allegiance. In varying degrees most of us are forced to play the role of servants. Let´s see how.

No timetable for IoT entrepreneurs and IoT Startups, no reconciliation of family life, every effort is little to get financing, to get an award or recognition of any of the IoT kings.

Industry analyst firms talk of: fragmentation of the market, innovation of IoT entrepreneurs, opportunities for new IoT Startups. It is well-controlled messages orchestrated by IoT kings to maintain illusion and encourage competition among their IoT entrepreneurs and IoT Startup servants.

Many of you probably have read about the conditions of workers in Foxcom in China, this may only be the tip of the iceberg for what lies ahead with the servants working in factories of IoT hardware kings.

One of the promises of IoT is cheaper hardware, and correct me if I am wrong but this will force factory workers to work excessive hours, often with no compensation for overtime, which the IoT hardware kings claims will be done voluntarily.

“The Servant Employees ”

Employees of large IoT companies fear the end of the quarter, the end of the fiscal year. IoT Kings have no mercy. If the results are not as expected by shareholders or markets (Who the hell are the markets?). The answer is always the same, the fault is because the productivity of employees. It is not unusual for employees to be obedient servants and although in most cases they try to keep a low profile, working 12+ hours a day, not off on a weekend or holiday, they know they are the weak link. The servants employees depends of the right decisions or erroneous of their IoT kings and their Boards of Advisors.

Cities want to be smart, in reality the smart city Councils want them to be smart Cities. The IoT technology has been the perfect excuse in many cases to scratch votes or subsidies. Citizens are servants of the technologies implemented without count on them.

As guinea pigs without the right to decide, servant’s citizens prove suffer (sometimes enjoy) pilots of Smart parking, Smart lighting, Smart waste management, Smart …, At least for the duration of subsidies or come the next election.